President Reuven Rivlin said, Sunday evening, "We cannot allow Israel to be a political football between different sides, between different ideologies." Addressing the opening dinner of the Annual Israel Leadership Mission of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Organizations, Rivlin noted, “In Israel, we are very concerned by polarization in society, and in politics. And we share your concerns, for these trends – the polarization of society – that you have experienced in the US. When a society is divided, it is not easy to find and maintain the shared vision, and the shared space. Sometimes, it is only at times of tragedy that we are able to come together. America’s strength is important and dear to us all.”
Rivlin was speaking against the backdrop of friction between the White House and Congress over Israel during the Obama administration. He concluded, “Support for Israel must and will always remain a bi-partisan issue. I also want to send from here, my warm wishes to President Trump, and I hope he is able to visit us soon.”